Fireproof building construction.



PATENTED JUNE so, 1908.

C. COLLINS.

FIREPROOP BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 12, 1906. RENEWED 41 11,217. 1908.

V flu/enter.-

m wmmmmwnii STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS COLLINS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA;

rmsrnoor BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Patented June so, 1908.

Application filed March 12 1906, Serial No. 305,727. Renewed April 27, 1908. Serial No. 429,476.

which -I will hereinafter describe and claim.

modern methods of building it is the tendenc materia to asgreat an extent as possible, and to substitute in lieu thereof brick, stone, concrete, or other non-combustible materials. It 'is. also desirable on account of the costly charactor of the aforesaid structures to economize the interior space as much as possible by making the interior walls, ceilings, and floors, as thin as is consistent with strength and sufficient solidity to maintain them in place withput vibration, and to make them fireroo In the most approved methods of fireproof constructions, structural metal is used, this -being in the form of thin strips, of sheet jmetal having littleinherent rigidity in themselves, and these are so connected with eachother and with supporting beams or members by Lateral or transverse braces as to form rigid structures capable of supporting tiles or mortar, concrete, or other lastic material which will harden after application whereby the metal and concrete become mutually sup- 'prorting, and the metal parts are protected 1 its om the direct action of heat or from destruction by oxidation.

In the accompanying drawings forming f art of this specification and in which simiar reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views,l*igure 1, represents a perspective view of a section of fire-proof partition construction showing an embodiment of my invention and the terracotta or other building blocks with which the metal structure may be combined. Fig. 2, is a similar view of a modified construction wherein the bracing strips or tongues are {formed by slitting one edge only of the upright, the free ends'of the strips or tongues being secured to a brick, stone or other wall "by staples or equivalent means embracing to eliminate wood and combustible etc., as I may wish to use.

said ends and being driven into the joint be tween the bricks, stones, etc. sents uprights similar to Fig. 1 with separate strips extending parallel between. any desired number thereof, and the tongues or bracing strips to. tie them to the uprights. Fig. 4, is a modification showing u rights with tongues or bracing strips struck from Fig. 3, repre the central portions thereof and having a I length sufficient to extend between two adj acent uprights, and terra-cotta or other blocks housed between adjacent parallel tongues and adjacent parallel uprights. Figs. 5 and 6 are modifications to be referred to.

In carrying out my invention I form the uprights A of thin metal having in themselves but little inherent rigidity, said strips being preferably, but not necessaril of a width about equal to the thickness 0 the proposed partition from side to side minus the outer coverings of such lathing, plastic material,

From these uprights I cut tongues or stri's which Iv bend transversely or at right angles to the length of the strips say horizonta ly relative to the uprights, and these tongues or braces I,em-' oy' in connection with a wall of building locks, bricks, stones etc., as a means for bracing and retaining the light metallic structurelin position and making it substantially rign I V The specific manner of forming and secnrfl ing the tongues or transverse bracing strips may be effected in various ways therefore I have illustrated several methods any one of which may be used with success.

In Fig. 1 the uprights A have their 0 posite edges slitted to form the tongues 2 W nch tongues are then bent into substantially a horizontal position towards an adjacent upfright. -'lhe bending of the tongues or strips I may be in the same direction or .the one at. one edge may be bent to the right and the one at the opposite edge may be bent to the left, as full y shown in said Fig. 1; and the distance which the tongues of one upright extends to; wards the adjacent upright may depend upon the length of the slit which is made in the up f right for that purpose. When the uprights are used in connection with terra-cotta or other solid or hollow blocks, or bricks, stone etc., which are more or less used in building construction, the 'uprights will stand between the edges of a'ver f' tical line of such blocks'and the tongues will,

' tached to the upright.

stand horizontal and will overlap the horizontal top and bottom edges of the blocks, as shownin Fig. 1, the said uprights and tongues thereby forming inclosing chambers for the vertical and horizontal edges of the blocks while the front and rear faces of the blocks,

If the block is hollow and has the usual internal lon itudinal and transverse webs or ribs 0., the ee ends of the tongues may be bent at right angles and made to engage the edge of the block or-one of its webs or ribs as shown in Fig. 1, with the tongues at one edge of the upright-extending over and being thus attached to the blocks atone side of the upright and the tongues at the opposite edge of the upright extending over and being fitted to the blocks of another row at the other side of said upright. This is the construction shown in Fig. 1, where the tongues are cut from the op osite edges of the upright and one end 0' thetongues is left at- The tongues might be made of se arate pieces riveted or otherwise secured to-t 1e u rights as shown at b, in Fig. 5, to form, with t as uprights, the inclosed chamber for the blocks.

In Fig. 2 I show the upright A as having the tongues a cut from one ed e only of thestrip and bent as before descri ed, this construction being shown'in connection with a wall of blocks, bricks or stone, and the free endsof the tongues being bent as at a3, or left straight and unbent as at a, and secured by a fastening of some kind, which may take the form of a staple a made to embrace thev tongues and having its points driven into the 'oints between adjacent blocks, bricks etc. ith such a construction, the opening left by cutting out the tongues will be useful for running of pipes or wires for conducting gas, water, electric currents, etc. throughout the building.

In some instances it is found desirable to form the wall or partition of theuprights with independent bars as at 3 in Fig. 3, these bars, if used single, extending horizontally alongb either through central slots or openings made in the u right A Fig. 6, or, if used double and para lel, through the channels made in o posite edges of the upright A (Fig. 3). In t e latter case, the tongues are cut or projaept fromthe edge portions of the upright, w e in Fig. 5 they roject from the central portions of the uprig t, but in either case the outer or free ends of these tongues will be fastened or locked to the bars by some this art.

appropriate means. In Figs. 3 and 6 the tongues are twisted around the bars to thus lock them to the uprights.

If the tongues are made long enough, and this is within the control of the builder, thei 1 may extend from one upright to and throug the slot or opening of an adjacent-u right,

thereby bridging the space between t e uprights, as in Fig 4, and having the free end of one tongue, 4,'r1veted or otherwise fastened to the base of a corresponding tongue of the next upri ht, which construction answers substantia ly the same purpose as the bars of Figs. 3 and 6 in that the pipes and wires before mentioned may beintroduced and supported between the uprights.

In Fig. 4, I show a building block or slab O housed substantially as inFig. 1, the said.

block or slab havinga recessed corner 41, over which the free end of the tongue 4 may be bent to lie flush with the vertical edge of the block.

When the wall has been built up, the metal lathing or'other support for the plaster, or finishing surface, may be attached to the edges of the strips, and the plaster or plastic material being applied, will pass through the interstices of the supporting lathing against the surface of the block or slabs in the manner well known and commonly practiced-in Having thus describedmy invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, y

. 1. In a fireproof building construction, the combination of parallel strips having rojections extending from the front an back edges with the projections at opposite edges extending in reverse directions and arranged in pairs substantially on the same level, and a building element inclosed by adjacent strips and rojections, and having a width substantial y equal to the distance between adjacent strips, said element resting in contact with the projections.

2. In a fireproof building construction, the combination of parallel stri s slitted in the direction of their length and havin tedportions extending transverse y therefrom in opposite directions to form tongues, the tongues of one strip havin a length less than the distance between 'a jacent strips, Y

the slit-x located at opposite edges thereof to form tongues, said tongues extending in opposite directions and the ton ues of one stri extending short of and being unconnecte with the adjacent strip, said tongues forming, with the strips, substantially inclosin chambers, and building "blocks within said chambers thereof.

4. A fireproof buildilw construction comprisin parallel strips, lio llow building blocks BXt11( ing between said strips, members extending transversely from the strips above and below the blocks, said members and stri s substantially housing the blocks, and said members forming supports for the blocks and having their free ends interlocking therewith.

5. In a fireproof building construction, the combination of vertically disposed parallel strips said strips having a vertical series of tongues cut from opposite edges and projecting transversely, said tongues atone edge of astri extending opposite to those of the other e ge, and vertical rows of building blocks, each of said rows disposed between adjacent strips, said tongues extending above and below each of said blocks and forming supports therefor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORNELIUS COLLlNS. Witnesses:

C. \V. F owLnR, TIMo'rnY COLLINS. 

